March 9th

R – Roles and Responsibilities

GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:

         Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. 

GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:

Want to start a holy war? Open a discussion whether or not women should to wear pants. Moreover, even if some say yes, you get into the type of pants. The length must be just so and the cut cannot be too tight or too loose. It seems easier with men. Most men do not desire to wear dresses, and pantyhose are out of the question. Yet in the era in which this verse was written, men and women both wore similar garments. A tunic or robe. There were subtle differences in how they would adorn themselves. It seems the women’s were made out a softer material and maybe layered with different colors. Nevertheless, you might say they all wore dresses at that time. (Still no panty hose.) So of what was then that God might have been talking? When it says, a woman shall not wear that which pertained to a man, the implication is a strong man or a man of war. Women were not to put on the Armor of men as had become a practice in the worship of Venus among the Canaanites. In addition, men were seen adorned with jewelry and veils to appear as women for many reasons. Some used it in attempt to escape war. Some thought it brought magical powers and they could predict and even weaken an enemy’s army saying they would be weak like women if they dressed this way. Mostly it was that men and women were dressing as the opposite sex as transvestites with wicked sexual behaviors. These practices were often associated with the worship of pagan gods and idols. God refers to this behavior in the same way He does homosexuality, “an abomination.” No matter how you look at it, you have to conclude at least this. God considered his creation of man and the woman as sacred. Although He created both in His image, He created each in a unique and distinguishingly different design. A wonderful masterpiece each one. Any attempt to distort or eliminate His distinction is called an abomination. God says you cannot fix perfection.

LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:

I pray this devotion does not stir up arguments, but rather causes us to rejoice in our difference. God created each of us as something special in His thoughts. Isn’t it wonderful that you were not a cookie cutter production? God created you special.